On the influence of narrative in the perception of raw earth construction

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Raw earth has fundamental environmental values, including low embodied energy, reduced greenhouse emissions, andendless reuse. These benefits are driving the growing interest in earth-based construction projects and research (Moreland Charef, 2019).Moreover, raw earth as a material has numerous technical advantages, which can contribute to the quality of life ofpeople living in and using raw earth buildings. To date, its hygrothermal advantages are probably those which have beenmost widely investigated (McGregor et al., 2016). However, raw earth has other strong points, less well known, whichcan also contribute to quality of life in a building, and which deserve more detailed attention. Such is the case regardingacoustic performance. A good acoustic comfort and quality is frequently attributed to earth architectures, but theseassertions are usually not supported by facts nor data (Degrave-Lemeurs, Glé and Hellouin de Menibus, 2018).Nevertheless, its contribution is not limited to the physical field. The sensory domain in the questioning and design oflived space is also essential for placing people at the heart of the process (Audas, 2008). In order to treat the issuesconnected with both physical and sense-related factors, this study will take an approach based on architecturalambiances (Dubois, 2012), and more specifically, sound ambiances.Studying raw earth's role in a specific environment, that of primary schools, allows a rich and complimentary analysisof both physical and perceptual factors. This choice of environment enables physical factors determining raw earth'spotential impact on architectural acoustics to be studied in a place where successful sound ambiance management is offundamental importance to quality of use. Regarding research into perceptual factors, the school environment allowsaccess to a wide range of users: adults and children of different ages and different socio-cultural profiles.The current work being carried out has highlighted the possible influence of construction history on the ambiancesperceived by the future users of a building and it is this evidence that we want to share here. In contrast to conventionalbuilding sites using conventional materials, earth construction sites can offer greater involvement and participation forfuture users, non-professionals, and the general public. In countries such as France, it is common to use this possibilityto organize workshops or training sessions for professionals or volunteers, supervised by earthen craftsmen in order tolower the expenses of building and to create a synergy of exchange and a diffusion of knowledge (BRUDED, 2019).Consequently and as a result of the observations made on the study sites, when users are given the opportunity tobecome active participants in the construction of buildings which will become their homes or workplaces, theirperceptions of the ambiances of those buildings are likely to be influenced by their experiences of the constructionprocess. Other factors, such as knowing the particular narrative of the building’s construction or the use of ecologicalmaterials including raw earth, can also influence the end user’s perception. However, in the case of raw earth acontroversy arises, as its ancient character often gives it an archaic and negative image that is not always out-weighedby its benefits as an ecological material.